HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam National Television (VTV) will air a documentary series entitled Colours of Japan on January 19, kicking off a range of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of ties between Việt Nam and Japan. 

The series, now in its third season, is co-produced by VTV and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS). The episodes aim to enable Vietnamese viewers to get a television tour of Japan. 

The series presenter is Lê Anh. Anh, a lecturer at Hà Nội National University’s Tourism Department and popular MC, will help audiences discover and explore the five prefectures of Chiba, Shizuoka, Oita, Nagasaki and Yamanashi.

"I have studied Japan for a long time," said Anh, who has visited Japan ten times. "Luckily, I was invited to appear in the series’ season three. I hope my understanding of Japan will help convey interesting messages to audiences".

In the first and the second seasons, the series presenters were television MC Hồng Phúc and Danh Tùng, who had never been to Japan. This time the series producers wanted to have a presenter with extensive experience in Japan, like Lê Anh. 

Anh will follow a Vietnamese expatriate student to visit the most beautiful natural landscapes and man-made wonders at each Japanese prefecture, such as Mount Fuji in Yamanashi and Shizuoka; the green tea fields in Shizuoka, which account for 40 per cent of Japanese tea production; and the night landscapes and Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Nagasaki. The park features many Dutch-style buildings reflecting historical relations between Japan and the Netherlands. 

The series crew this season includes more Vietnamese members who understand how to make the show more appealing to Vietnamese audiences. 

"The first and the second seasons were produced by a Japanese crew and so the show is through Japanese eyes," said producer Mishiro Shinichi. "This season is made with Vietnamese participation in shooting, editing and directing".

During a month of shooting in Japan, the producers faced the country’s coldest autumn in 60 years and an ill-timed storm in Chiba and Oita prefectures. 

The six 30-minute episodes will be aired on VTV’s Channel 3 (VTV3) on Friday afternoons at 4:20pm beginning on January 19. 

Colours of Japan is part of a project between VTV and TBS to enhance co-operation between the two television networks. The previous co-operation projects such as dramas Người Cộng Sự (The Partner) in 2013 and Khúc Hát Mặt Trời (The Sun’s Song) are popular with Vietnamese audiences. — VNS